how do you solve this pink elephant riddle?!?!?!?

[mtwilightluvrfureverm]

ok my friends told me this riddle and i CAN'T figure it out! ok this is how it goes: there are 5 pink elephants in the chair, 6 pink elephants in the vase, 5 pink elephants in the fireplace and 7 pink elephants in the pantry. how many pink elephants are there? and then there is a random answer like i.e. 4 please explain this riddle to me! oh and they said it had nothing to do with math.
no, it isn't how many places they are. i am so confused. i don't get it at all!
no, it isn't a math problem. every answer they said has been under 10.
no, there is always an answer (i said the same thing when i first heard it too lol)

 

[bms]

the question is "how many pink elephants",see the word pink elephant appears 4 times,that's it!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Athene]

Zero. Pink elephant does not exist..

 

[purpletttt]

23 pink elephants!!!

=]

 

[SweetCheeks]

There is no such thing as a pink elephant.

 

[kaiyne]

The best i can come up with is that theres four places the pink elphants are??? idunno it is confusing

 

[mmyaLSew07mm]

5 pink elephants..... chair can't lift 5 elephants... actualLy .. vase cannot handle 6 elephaNts!!! a pantry cannot also... i think in fireplace maybe...

 

[BigSteve]

In the riddle...the phrase "pink elephants" shows up four times.. thats my best guess

 

[Unregistered]

pink elephant riddle.

YOU GUYS ARE ALL REALLLY DUMb. ITS THE AMOUNT OF WORDS IN THE QUESTION! Like: How many pink elephants are left? Ans: 6. The amount of words.

 

[Unregistered]

It is the amount of words in the question